Yelda Kumbasar

For many years, Yelda worked for a textile company in Istanbul, handling subcontracting, accounts, and other such administrative tasks. But this was neither her passion nor what made her happy — for that, she cooked and baked. Her friends and family enjoyed her culinary creations so much that she decided to improve her skills and take a baking course (and eventually, quit her textile job). At the end of her course, she learned that she could enroll in an entrepreneurship program through the Small and Medium Industry Development Organization (KOSGEB); by the end, she was awarded as one of the best amongst 450 trainees.